Bezel retaining means for instrument cases



N 1953 J. J. JANKOT 2,657,827

' BBZEL RETAINING MEANS FOR INSTRUMENT CASES Filed Feb. 23. 1951 2 M Q u@o 4' r4 aw 4 I M m N INVENTOR.

. W XM BY WVW or impossible.

Patented' Nov. 3, 1953 BEZEL RETAINING MEANS FOR INSTRUMENT CASES JosephJ. Jankot, Milford, Conn., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Acragage Corporation, Milford, Conn., acorporation of Massachusetts Application February 23, 1951, Serial No.212,285 4 Claims. (01. 220-82) Thi invention relates to instrument casesfor various types of instruments and is more particularly concerned withnew and improved means for holding the bezel and cover glass to thefaceof the housing of such a case.

Heretofore instrument cases have usually been assembled by providing athreaded joint between the bezel, or cover glass retaining ring, and thehousing of the instrument. Such a construction is expensive and issubject to corrosion in service. making subsequent removal of the bezeldifficult Furthermore, separate and distinct retaining means have beennecessary, one for holding the glass in the bezel and the other forholding the bezel to the housing.

The present invention has for its object the elimination of theforegoing difliculties by substituting for the above described retainingmeans a series of spring retaining clips arranged around the peripheryof the bezel and circumference of the rim of the housing, each clipbeing formed in such a way as at one end to cooperate with portions ofthe bezel for holding the cover glass in place, and simultaneously atother portions 'to clasp the bezel to the housing by the engagement ofportions of the clips with cooperating portions of the bezel andhousing. Sealing gaskets are preferably provided between the severalparts.

Thus the new and improved construction, according to the invention,provides in a simple, economically manufactured assembly, a singleimproved means for firmly locking the bezel to the housing whilesimultaneously holding the cover glass in place and further providing adust proof and readily assembled and disassembled organization of parts.

With the foregoing and other objects, features and advantages in view,the invention consists in the novel formation and arrangement of parts.as will more clearly appear from the following detailed description of apreferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts in the severalviews, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a pressure gauge case embodying theconstruction of the invention. having portions broken away to disclosethe configuration of one of the novel spring clips;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of one of the clips in lockedengagement with the bezel and housing.

Referring now to the drawings, there is disclosed a pressure gaugehousing In from which, for purposes of clarity, the gauge mechanism has2 j been omitted. The housing has a front opening l2 and a back cover H.The bezel I6 is arranged in telescopic fashion over the rim of thehousing l0 and seats against a gasket I8 of rubber or other suitablematerial which forms a fume and dust tight seal. The bezel I6 is formedto retain a cover glass (or similar member) 20 surrounded about its edgewith another sealing gasket22 having a channel-like cross section. Thegasket 22 serves the double purpose of sealing the edge of the glass tothe bezel flange and protecting the former against direct engagementwith the spring clips hereinafter described.

' As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the cover glass 2!) is held in thebezel l6 and the latter is locked to the rimof the housing ID by fourspring clips 24 of special configuration. The forward end of each clip24 is formed with an axially directed and rearwardly offset projection26, which is shaped to engage and retain a portion of the gasket 22,resiliently to press the edge of the cover glassagainst the glassretaining flange 28 of the bezel I6. Each clip, intermediate its length,is ofl'set to form a rearwardly facing locking shoulder 30 whichcooperates with acorresponding projection 32 which may be an annular lugformed within therearwardly extending cylindrical flange 34 of the bezel16. In addition, each of the clips 24 terminates at its rear extremityin an offset car 36 which fits a corresponding recess 38, which may bean external annular groove formed in the rim of the housing In.

It will be observed that the cover glass 20 is firmly locked in place bythe forward portion of each clip 24 which is held against rearwardmovement by the mutual engagement of the shoulders 30 and 32 of the clipand bezel flange respectively. With the cover glass installed in thebezel the two are then pressed into position against the front of thehousing I 0. Each of the resilient ears 36 snaps into locked engagementwith portions of the groove 38. The bezel is then held in place becauseeach clip 24 is locked against rearward movement by the lockingshoulders 30 and 32 and against forward movement by the engagement ofthe car 36 with the groove 38. The parts are dimensioned in such a waythat the ear 3-6 of the clip 24 rides slightly toward the forward outeredge of the annular groove 38 so that it is, in effect, always seekingthe bottom of the groove. This construction provides continuoustensioning of the bezel against the gasket is located between the inneredge of the bezel flange 34 and the housing, thus providing an effectiveseal.

The whole assembly is, of course, in equilibrium because the force withwhich each clip presses against the shoulder 32 balances the forcesexerted on the cover glass 20, the groove 38 and the gasket It.

It will be understood that there has been here disclosed and describedonly one embodiment of the invention as applied to a pressure gaugecase. It is evident that the constructionaccordingto the invention isadaptable to a variety of other instrument cases or like devices whereinit is desired to hold a loose cover glass orsimilar member in a bezelagainst a housing; and'furthermore that more or less than four springclips may be employed as locking means. These. and other adaptations andrearrangements of the parts will occur to those skilled in the art,within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an instrument case the combination comprising a housing having afront opening, a bezel fitting said opening for holding a cover memberthereover and at least one spring retaining clip fitting within saidbezel, said clip having an intermediate rearwardly facing bezelretaining surface and an inwardly and forwardly facing housin grippingsurface generally at its rear end and being turned rearwardly andinwardly at its frontend to form an angle bracket to the rear of saidbezel, said bezel having an inwardly and forwardly facing lockingsurface, and a forward portion of'said housing having an outwardly andrearwardly facing surface, said angle bracket being seated against therear radial corner of said cover member, said gripping surface of saidclip yieldably grippin said outwardly and rearwardly facing surface ofsaid housing, said bezel retaining surface of said clip being locked infront of said locking surface of said bezel, and a portion of the outersurface of said clip resting generally against the internal surface ofsaid bezel, whereby said cover member is retained in said bezel and saidbezel is simultaneously held to said housing, said clip maintaining thelocked engagement of said several surfaces.

2. In an instrument case the combination including a housing having afront opening and a peripheral external groove near said opening, abezel fitting said opening and having a rearwardly extending flange withan internal peripheral shoulder therein, a cover glass resting againstthe back' surfaceaof-fsaid bezel,- and a series of mutually spacedspring retaining clips between said flange and said housing, each ofsaid clips having an inwardly offset rearwardly and inwardly-extendingangle bracket portion at its front end, an inwardly extending grippingear at its rear end, and an intermediately offset inwardly'extendingclipshoulder, said angle bracket portion being seated around the radialback corner of said cover glass, said gripping earextendingyieldablyinto said groove, said clip shoulder being in contactwith said peripheral shoulder of said bezel, and the front portion ofthe outer surfaces of said clips resting against the internal surface ofsaid bezel flange, whereby said cover glass is retained in said bezel,and said bezel is simultaneously held against said hous- 3. Thecombination in accordance with. claim 2 includingsealing: gasketsbetween the'rear end of said flange and adiacent portion of said housingand betweenrthe edge' of' said cover glass and the adjacent portionsofrsaid clip and said bezel.

4. The combination according to claim 2 in which said gripping earextends only partly down the front surface of 'said groove sothatintending to reach. the bottom; of said groove said clip will. hold saidbezel and housing together more tightly.

JOSEPH J; JANKOT.

References Cited in, the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

